IP Library Granted Patent US 11,500,794
Granted Patent B2
US 11,500,794 · App. 17/241,869 · Granted Nov 15, 2022

Training procedure for receivers associated with a memory device

Inventors: Peter Mayer (Neubiberg, DE); Thomas Hein (Munich, DE); Martin Brox (Munich, DE); Wolfgang Anton Spirkl (Germering, DE); Michael Dieter Richter (Ottobrunn, DE)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G06F13/1668G06F11/1004
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,500,794
App. No.
17/241,869
Granted
Nov 15, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for training procedures on reference voltages and sampling times associated with symbols communicated with a memory device are described. The training procedures may be configured to compensate for variations that may occur in different symbols of a signal. For example, an individual training operation may be performed for each reference voltage within a first unit interval. These individual training operations may allow a reference voltage of the first unit interval to be positionable independent of other reference voltages in the same unit interval or in different unit intervals. In another example, an individual training operation may be performed for the sampling time associated with a reference voltage. These individual training operations may allow a sampling time associated with a reference voltage in the first unit interval to be positionable independent of other sampling times in the same unit interval or in different unit intervals.

Claims (58)

1. A device, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive one or more symbols over a set of unit intervals;

a first comparator coupled with a first reference voltage supply circuit, the first comparator configured to distinguish a first symbol candidate from a second symbol candidate during a first unit interval of the set of unit intervals based at least in part on a configuration of the first reference voltage supply circuit;

a second comparator coupled with a second reference voltage supply circuit different than the first reference voltage supply circuit, the second comparator configured to distinguish the first symbol candidate from the second symbol candidate during a second unit interval of the set of unit intervals based at least in part on a configuration of the second reference voltage supply circuit;

a first latching component configured to sample an output of the first comparator; and

a second latching component configured to sample an output of the second comparator.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a third comparator coupled with a third reference voltage supply circuit, the third comparator configured to distinguish the second symbol candidate from a third symbol candidate during the first unit interval of the set of unit intervals based at least in part on the third reference voltage supply circuit; and

a third latching component configured to sample an output of the third comparator.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein:

the first latching component is configured to sample the output of the first comparator during the first unit interval;

the second latching component is configured to sample the output of the second comparator during the second unit interval; and

the third latching component is configured to sample the output of the third comparator during the first unit interval.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of comparators; and

a plurality of latching components, wherein respective comparators of the plurality are paired with respective latching components of the plurality, and wherein each paired comparator and latching component are tuned for a reference voltage supply circuit in each unit interval of the set of unit intervals.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein a first reference voltage corresponding to the first reference voltage supply circuit is configured independently of a second reference voltage corresponding to the second reference voltage supply circuit.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a conductive line coupled with the receiver, the first comparator, and the second comparator, wherein the one or more symbols are received over the conductive line.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the configuration of the first reference voltage supply circuit comprises the first reference voltage supply circuit being configured to supply a first voltage level, and wherein the configuration of the second reference voltage supply circuit comprises the second reference voltage supply circuit configured to supply a second voltage level that is different than the first voltage level.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the receiver comprises a first stage and a second stage different than the first stage, the first stage comprising the first comparator and the second comparator and the second stage comprising the first latching component and the second latching component.

9. A method, comprising:

identifying a first offset associated with a first reference voltage for distinguishing a first symbol candidate from a second symbol candidate in a plurality of symbols;

identifying a second offset for the first reference voltage and a third offset for the first reference voltage after identifying the first offset, the second offset being different than the third offset;

configuring, in a first unit interval of a set of unit intervals, the first reference voltage with the second offset; and

configuring, in a second unit interval of the set of unit intervals, the first reference voltage with the third offset.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

identifying a fourth offset for a second reference voltage in the first unit interval after identifying the first offset, the fourth offset being different than the second offset and the third offset; and

configuring, in the first unit interval of the set of unit intervals, the second reference voltage with the fourth offset.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

sampling a first output of a first comparator that is associated with the first reference voltage based at least in part on the second offset and the first reference voltage.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

changing the first reference voltage for the first unit interval from a first voltage to a second voltage different than the first voltage; and

identifying a demodulation error for a symbol of the plurality based at least on changing the first reference voltage, wherein the first offset is identified based at least in part on identifying the demodulation error.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

transmitting signaling comprising an indication of the demodulation error, wherein the first offset is identified based at least in part on transmitting the signaling.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

initiating a training procedure; and

receiving the plurality of symbols during the set of unit intervals, each unit interval of the set of unit intervals comprising a respective symbol of the plurality, wherein receiving the plurality of symbols is based at least in part on initiating the training procedure.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

performing, as part of the training procedure, a baseline voltage training procedure, wherein the first offset comprises a difference between a first level of a reference voltage and a pass point of the reference voltage identified by the baseline voltage training procedure.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a controller associated with a memory device, wherein the controller is configured to cause the apparatus to:

identify a first offset associated with a first reference voltage for distinguishing a first symbol candidate from a second symbol candidate in a plurality of symbols;

identify a second offset for the first reference voltage and a third offset for the first reference voltage after identifying the first offset, the second offset being different than the third offset;

configure, in a first unit interval of a set of unit intervals, the first reference voltage with the second offset; and

configure, in a second unit interval of the set of unit intervals, the first reference voltage with the third offset.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the apparatus to:

identify a fourth offset for a second reference voltage in the first unit interval after identifying the first offset, the fourth offset being different than the second offset and the third offset; and

configure, in the first unit interval of the set of unit intervals, the second reference voltage with the fourth offset.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the apparatus to:

sample a first output of a first comparator that is associated with the first reference voltage based at least in part on the second offset and the first reference voltage.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the apparatus to:

change the first reference voltage for the first unit interval from a first voltage to a second voltage different than the first voltage; and

identify a demodulation error for a symbol of the plurality based at least on changing the first reference voltage, wherein the first offset is identified based at least in part on identifying the demodulation error.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the apparatus to:

initiate a training procedure; and

receive the plurality of symbols during the set of unit intervals, each unit interval of the set of unit intervals comprising a respective symbol of the plurality, wherein receiving the plurality of symbols is based at least in part on initiating the training procedure.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 16538329 · Aug 12, 2019
Provisional Application 62720817 · Aug 21, 2018
Related Publication 20210318968A1 · Oct 14, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,609,683